The Lobster Shanty

We only had about a five minute wait and this was during the day and three days before Halloween in Salem at a restaurant 🤯 The service was amazing. I never needed to ask for more water and water was brought to the table before she even took our drink orders. I love that they offer non alcoholic drinks for those of us that don't like to drink to anymore or can't, but want something different. They have some really nice sounding drink specials according to the Fall season. I went with Baked Scallops which came with french fries that had a light seasoned coating to them. The scallops were cooked perfectly. Not overcooked, nor under. The crumb coating on the top was a perfect blend of Ritz crackers, butter, lemon juice, (I added more lemon 🍋 to it though) and some parsley. Not too salty or buttery. It was absolutely delicious. I couldn't eat too much, I had to leave more than half behind (weight loss surgery) but the waitress never made assumptions that I didn't like the food or anything. Which is awesome. In addition, I didn't realize you can bring your dog with you and sit outside. Pretty cool. My girlfriend had the grilled shrimp and french fries. And she ate it all. Loved every bit of it. Said the shrimp was nice and juicy not elastic like due to being overcooked. And the seasoning was perfect. We opted for lemonades as a side drink to our water. It was too sugary for me. But my taste buds in terms of sugar (sugar free and low fat diet) are not the same anymore so don't quote me on the lemonade 🍋

We were in Salem for the day and met a friend here for dinner. What a great spot! It's small, cozy, with great people (staff and customers, alike). My husband had the lobstertini. It was fun to try. Wouldn't pay to do it again. For dinner, the friend and I both had the steak tips. My husband had the pulled pork sandwich. Both meals were delicious. The only fail was the garlic mashed potatoes--they were rather gluey. The other side I had, the spinach with bacon, was fabulous. Next time we are in back in Salem, we would definitely want to come back for the food, people, and atmosphere.

10/10. Went here back in June of 2023 with my boyfriend and he has been trying to find a lobster roll like theirs ever since.
I personally don't like seafood but the lobster shanty 🦞 had something for us both. He said the lobster roll seemed pricey at first but said it was totally worth it and wished he got the extra for an additional $10 . If we are ever in this area again, we will definitely stop by. It was great in all categories and our waiter was super friendly!!
(The mustard design was me)

Everything we had was delicious, fried brussel sprouts, clam chowder, spicy chili corn, burger and of course the lobster roll. Great, fun place and excellent food. They even had a 3 piece band on Sunday afternoon. Highly recommended.

Pleasant meal at the Lobster Shack. Waiter was attentive, but not intrusive. Had salad with lobster. The greens were fresh and there was about a cup of lobster on top. A great place to people watch while having a delicious meal!

Such a fun local place! Went exploring through Salem while on a cruise and was looking for a place to grab a lobster roll. Stumbled on The Lobster Shanty, saw there was a line -- so I thought it had to be good! I was right. We sat at the bar and the bartender took care of us. Food arrived quickly, and it was delicious. I'd return again!

My wife and I stopped in for a lobster roll and clam chowder during our travels through Salem. We was not disappointed and would love to return in the future. Service was great. Food was excellent. We both highly recommend.

In Salem Thursday-Friday before Columbus weekend and definitely wanted a lobster roll. My preference is Connecticut with butter. We found The Lobster Shanty was listed as the best, so as the Halloween parade began we noticed how slow the restaurants were and jumped on the chance to eat. We were seated on the front patio which gave us the ability to appreciate the parade as we ate. Homemade chips were fun and yummy. The lobster roll had an insane amount of chunky lobster including many claws of meat. I prefer a brioche roll (they use grilled "Texas toast", but the bread was secondary to the delicious lobster. We were also extremely happy they carried quality NA beer - Bud 0 (I was surprised they did not have Sam Adams Just the Haze or Gold Rush). Will make it a point to return on our next visit.

We got there around 4:15 and had no wait. The food was good, the onion rings were awesome, the Rachelle sandwich was just a tad bit greasy, but nothing too serious. I was told the fish and chips were good by my companion. Drinks were nice and refreshing. Dog friendly location, and you can people watch as it is outdoor dining.

Lovely spot for seafood in Salem, our waiter had great customer service but also a hilarious attitude and quips, really made the place passively entertaining to be at. Got clam chowder, calamari, fish and chips, baked scallops, spinach with bacon, and all were decadent and perfectly cooked, the fries are also incredibly crispy and deceptively addictive. We'll definitely be back!

Such good food and atmosphere!! Was definitely a staple of our trip. ❤ Thanks for the great food and memories!

The food was great! It was a little slow on us getting seated (hence the 4 stars on service) but our server was courteous. I enjoyed my steak tips, and my wife's mac and cheese + lobster was delicious.

The food, atmosphere and service was excellent! We ordered the fried onion "strings" as an appetizer. They were hand breaded and delicious with an ample portion. It was difficult to resist the temptation to devour them and spoil our appetite for our entrees. My wife ordered the baked scallops and I had the "Connecticut style" lobster roll (warm claw meat in butter on a New England hot dog roll) for our entrees. She chose the fried Brussels sprouts for her side and I picked the wilted greens with bacon
Although the combination of flavors in the Brussels sprouts was a bit surprising, a little candied blue cheese, they were both still delicious. The lobster and scallops were also very fresh and delicious.
They had a small but interesting selection of local draft beers that changes all the time. I tried the lager from the Notch brewery just down the street and it was wonderful.
This is a mostly covered open air restaurant right in the heart of the witch district with decent parking. If you enjoy great food and atmosphere don't miss this place when you are in Salem.

I always walked with my boyfriend near the place and we wanted to go in but the place is very busy all the time. It was finally available, and it was worth the wait. The food is delicious. The place is very cool, highly recommended. The pulled pork sandwich was super super bomb. 💯💯👌

The best local "dive bar" in the area. A place I can be a regular. Food and drinks are excellent.
I would suggest the Karate Chop, Perfect Storm and Great Molasses Flood for special cocktails.
Relax with as many corn dogs as you can fit on your plate. Great burgers too. If the Rachel is on the menu, it's great too.

I got the lobster roll with tater tots and it was absolutely delicious. The service was great and I will definitely go back for the lobster nachos

Staff was friendly. Lots of outdoor seating. Great location. Good was excellent. We shared the Hypernova Scotia (as seen on Man vs. Food) between two people, and it was delicious and plenty. Would go back.

Spent a week in Salem and liked this place so much we had it twice 😁. The Clam Chowder is delicious, especially when mixed with fries & curds! Lobster Rolls were fantastic and my daughter loved the Mac & Cheese. My husband liked the beer selection and I enjoyed the Perfect Storm.
The 2nd visit was much busier than the 1st but Sean did an excellent job of keeping up with everything.
Be sure to try this place out if ever looking for a laid-back place with great food in Salem. 🦞🥰

Lobster Rolls and New England Clam Chowder were a hit with our party. Even really enjoyed the fried Brussel Sprouts and onion strings were really tasty.

Service was great from entry to exit.

And also across from the Town Hall scene shown in the first Hocus Pocus movie.

Great atmosphere and great food. My wife and I were in Salem for our anniversary and we went here for dinner. The manager or owner as well as the waitress were very welcoming and the fish and chips meal I had was delicious and HUGE! If you're in the area you should definitely get a bite to eat here